Late recanalisation beyond 24 hours is associated with worse outcome: an observational study.

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the rate of late recanalisation beyond 24 h after intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and its relationship with haemorrhagic transformation and outcome.
METHODS: We reviewed prospectively collected clinical and imaging data from acute ischaemic stroke patients with distal internal carotid artery or proximal middle cerebral artery occlusion who underwent angiography on admission, 24 h and 1 week after IVT. Patients were trichotomised according to vascular status: timely recanalisation (<24 h), late recanalisation (24 h-7 days), and no recanalisation.
RESULTS: Non-invasive angiography revealed timely recanalisation in 52 (50.0 %) patients, late recanalisation in 25 (24.0 %) patients, and no recanalisation in 27 (26.0 %) patients. Pre-existing atrial fibrillation was associated with the occurrence of late recanalisation (odds ratio 6.674; 95 % CI: 1.197 to 37.209; p = 0.030). In patients without timely recanalisation, shift analysis indicated that late recanalisation led to a worse modified Rankin Scale score (odds ratio 6.787; 95 % CI: 2.094 to 21.978; p = 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS: About half of all patients without recanalisation by 24 h after IVT may develop late recanalisation within 1 week, along with higher mRS scores by 3 months. Pre-existing atrial fibrillation is an independent predictor for late recanalisation. KEY POINTS: • About half of patients may develop late recanalisation within 1 week. • Pre-existing atrial fibrillation was associated with the occurrence of late recanalisation. • Late recanalisation led to a higher mRS score than no recanalisation.